Hainan Miaozupanhuang Dance
01 · Historical Records
Panhuang dance derives from the Miao worship of Pangu, the god who created heaven and earth (called Panhuang in Miao). It was originally a ritual dance to reward divine favour and commemorate the ancestors, and later came to include the driving away of evil, the bestowal of blessings and prayers for the prosperity of people and livestock in the Miao village.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
Panhuang dance, also called “Three Yuan dance”, is a ritual collective dance handed down through generations by the Miao people of Wuzhishan City, Hainan Province. The dance was originally held to reward divine favour and commemorate Pangu, the god who created heaven and earth. Prayers were later added, calling on the spirits and the ancestors to drive away evil and bestow blessings, and to protect the people and livestock of the Miao village so that life may be happy and peaceful. The Miao people of the Wuzhishan area live mainly in Shigong Village under the Yannan Village Committee of Nansheng Town, in the new village of Shuishui Township, Wuzhishan, and in Maoyang Town and Fanyang Town; among them, the Miao panhuang dance of Shigong Village under the Yannan Village Committee of Nansheng Town is the most representative. Every year, from the second day of the second lunar month, the people begin thorough preparations for the panhuang dance, mobilising every household in the village to take an active part in the various activities of rehearsing and performing it. The sixth day of the sixth lunar month every year is the time for dancing the panhuang dance; men, women, old and young all pour out of the whole village and, in a great crowd, beat drums in place of music as they dance. When the panhuang dance is danced, an altar is first set up and incense burned to worship the founding ancestor Panhuang, expressing remembrance of the ancestor Panhuang and praying that he protect the people with peace and happiness, with favourable weather and good harvests year after year, so that they may live and work in contentment. The performers keep reciting scripture, singing and dancing; the scripture is the “Panhuang scripture”, and what is sung is the “ancient-word Panhuang song”, by which the footsteps of the ancestors’ development and their inner journey are retraced. Miao people may all dance the panhuang dance, men and women, young and old. Generally more than eight people are needed, including one performer as the god Panhuang, one partner dancer, one drummer and five or more in the group dance. There is no restriction on the number of people in the panhuang dance, but an even number is the general rule. The first-yuan dance reproduces the course of the Miao ancestors’ development. The dancer uses a triangular stick about 30 centimetres long (called Dangbinpia in Miao), holding the lower section of the stick in the right hand while the left hand is held in a gesture of worship, praying for the god Panhuang to appear. The second-yuan dance recalls the road the ancestors travelled and the inner journey of the forefathers. The dancer whips coloured ribbons in the hands, bringing the dance to its climax as the drumbeats gradually quicken. The third-yuan dance praises the graciousness of the forefathers and prays for the protection of their spirits in heaven. The dancers now wear the coloured ribbons on their backs and form a circle. Only then does the god Panhuang come out in time with the drumbeats and dance with the mortal representative dancer (one person), signifying a good harvest in the coming year. The Daoba, or closing, dance is the last dance of the performance; it mainly expresses the bringing in of wealth and treasure, summoning the wealth of the five directions — east, south, west, north and centre — into the gate of the house. In spatial terms the panhuang dance has a fairly broad social reach. If a Hainan Miao village has no one able to dance the panhuang dance, it will invite people from another village, or several villages will join together to dance the panhuang dance. Such joint performances across townships and across cities and counties often occur. Because the dance is varied and the movements are rather difficult to perform, young people are generally unwilling to learn it, and the Hainan Miao panhuang dance therefore faces the predicament of having no successors. Its performance form is unique in style, preserving the basic features of traditional dance, rich in folk art character, expressing the ideas, aesthetic pursuits and life aspirations of the Hainan Miao people, and of high social, cultural and artistic value.
Upper, middle, lower and closing dances
The three primal dances recall the ancestors' journey and beg their blessing, while the closing dance draws wealth from the five directions into the house.
Triangular stick and coloured ribbons
The upper dance holds a thirty-centimetre triangular stick in the right hand, while ribbons are swung in the middle and slung on the back in the lower dance.
The Panghuang scriptures and songs
The performers chant the Panghuang scriptures and sing the ancient Panghuang songs without pause, retracing the ancestors' steps.
The roles within the dancing group
At least eight take part: the god himself, one partner, a drummer and five or more chorus dancers, the god entering only with the drumbeat.
Preparation and the dancing day
Preparations begin on the second day of the second lunar month; on the sixth of the sixth the whole village dances, opening with incense at the altar.
Shigong village and joint dancing
Shigong village is the most representative site; villages without dancers invite neighbours, and cross-township joint performances are common.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
Panhuang dance, also called “Three Yuan dance”, is divided altogether into three parts: the first yuan, the second yuan and the third yuan. Panhuang dance has a certain regional character and variation in form, and is transmitted mainly through oral teaching from elderly folk artists.
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
At present, through the concerted efforts of the relevant departments and units, the survival of the item has improved, but determined efforts are still needed to strengthen its protection and transmission. The Hainan Miao panhuang dance has a long history; it preserves ancient Miao culture and is rich in local and ethnic character, and it is of significant value for studying the history and culture of the Hainan Miao people.
05 · Associated Representative Bearers
Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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